Current affairs relevant to GS2.
As on 7 August 2026, 5,63,809 of 5,86,944 villages reported liquid waste management arrangements under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase II, the Jal Shakti Ministry told Lok Sabha. States reported 42,98,194 community greywater assets. Phase II, from 1 April 2020, aims to turn villages from ODF to ODF Plus.
13 Aug 2026
The Sixteenth Finance Commission has recommended grants of ₹4,35,236 crore for rural local bodies in all 28 States for 2026-31, the Panchayati Raj Ministry told Rajya Sabha on 12 August 2026. Basic and performance grants are in the ratio 80:20. Half the basic grant is tied to sanitation and water; the rest is untied.
12 Aug 2026
The first phase of Census 2027, Houselisting and Housing Census, is complete in 31 States and UTs, MHA told Rajya Sabha on 12 August 2026. Population Enumeration in Ladakh and snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand runs from 1 to 30 September 2026, with online self-enumeration from 17 to 31 August.
12 Aug 2026
On 12 August 2026 India and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) signed the Terms of Reference for negotiating a Preferential Trade Agreement. It is India's first such ToR with the African region. Talks will cover eight chapters, from trade in goods and rules of origin to trade remedies and dispute settlement. SACU is the world's oldest customs union.
12 Aug 2026
On 12 August 2026 the National Commission for Scheduled Castes submitted its Annual Report for 2024-25 to President Droupadi Murmu. The report reviews how constitutional safeguards for Scheduled Castes are working and recommends steps for the Union and States. The President asked the Commission to suggest ways to strengthen existing mechanisms.
12 Aug 2026
The Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026, passed by Parliament in August 2026, creates a judiciary-led National Tribunals Commission to select members of 16 tribunals and oversee them. It repeals the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021, parts of which the Supreme Court struck down in Madras Bar Association v. Union of India. Members get a five-year term.
12 Aug 2026
On 10 August 2026 MHA notified 11 more international ports where foreigners holding an e-Visa can enter India: nine land ports and two airports. The total is now 88, with 37 airports, 38 seaports and 13 land ports. India processes about 95 per cent of e-Visa applications in under 72 hours.
10 Aug 2026
The Ministry of Culture promotes India's cultural relations through the Global Engagement Scheme, an umbrella scheme, the Culture Minister told Lok Sabha on 10 August 2026. It has four parts: the International Cultural Exchange Programme, Project Mausam, Brihattar Bharat and a scheme to safeguard intangible cultural heritage. India has Cultural Exchange Programmes with 98 countries.
10 Aug 2026
A PIB backgrounder of 9 August 2026 traces how CPGRAMS, the central online grievance portal, has grown. Grievances handled rose from about 3.01 lakh in 2014 to around 27 lakh in 2024. Average disposal time in central ministries fell from 157 days to 15 days in 2025. The deadline is now 21 days.
9 Aug 2026
Over 1.25 crore houses have been sanctioned under PMAY-Urban and PMAY-U 2.0, and more than 1 crore have been completed and handed over, MoHUA said on 9 August 2026. One crore houses are in the name of women. The 8th CSMC meeting on 6 August sanctioned over 2.09 lakh more houses for EWS families.
9 Aug 2026